I've just read the article in Railway Modeller and am well impressed. Intersesting that you say that for a one man layout of that size if you were to do it again you would go OO. I have followed the build on the other place and it was good to see it in print.

Its a stock thing to be honest Alan - I just got fed up of having to convert enough stock to EM to run on it - and Im still at it even now although the end is in sight - until i see a new loco i want on it!! OO would have cut the construction time down by half at least and a bit more instantaneous running with it. Still so long as i dont change era / location i will have enough EM stock to last me the rest of my life, bring on the P4 layout!! (its much smaller)

Must say this is one layout really i'm looking forward to seeing at Madchester ( Thats if Puds lets me off his layout for 5 minutes ).I too have just read the article in the Modeller. I don't normally get the modeller and it was only New Hey that made me pick it up while getting more nappies in Tesco

Until my workshop thread comes up heres whats on the bench at the moment:

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which is shortly to appear on the "Shaw Curve as this:

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Its the last building to go on the layout although strictly speaking its on the scenic return board which I initially was less bothered about as I never saw them as part of the main layout, rather a neater way of taking the trains off scene. Now by York will end up with signals on them, and I see them as part of the full scenic boards.

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Not having been on RMweb for some while I haven't seen New Hey recently and so its grood to see your pictures.

It's a really believable evocation of time and place and is a one heck of a project to take on, I look forward to catching up with you and it at a show in the future.

Completely different subject, your "to err is human to arr is pirate" (or something like that, don't think I have got it quite right) always made me laugh, did you invent it yourself or if not where did it come from?

Andy C wrote:Its a stock thing to be honest Alan - I just got fed up of having to convert enough stock to EM to run on it - and Im still at it even now although the end is in sight - until i see a new loco i want on it!! OO would have cut the construction time down by half at least and a bit more instantaneous running with it. Still so long as i dont change era / location i will have enough EM stock to last me the rest of my life, bring on the P4 layout!! (its much smaller)

That's not an uncommon view Andy, and if I Morfa was intended as a steam era layout I'd have been seriously tempted by OO. It's partly a time thing, though as long as I'm enjoying myself I see no need for a quick completion, but being born and bred fifty miles to the east the extra expense would play a larger part. Diesels are a quick fix that costs nothing, steam's another matter.

Completely different subject, your "to err is human to arr is pirate" (or something like that, don't think I have got it quite right) always made me laugh, did you invent it yourself or if not where did it come from?

Both brilliant.

Simon

I'd love to take credit for it but I saw it on someones T shirt at Glastonbury the other year!

The running sequence with New hey demands 18 loco's / DMUs on tap at any one time, plus I like to have a spare for most roads - currently the stock box / work bench has approx 30 lcocs with several unbuilt kits "maturing" in the cupboard I havent counted the pieces of stock!

It got to a stage just before we took it to the Rochdale show where i was so fed up of a constant round of getting something, invaliidating the warranty straight away and then spending ages getting it right. Its not like you can get drop in wheel sets for steamers other than a few Ultrascale examples - which work out usually more expensive than the loco you are converting. Like you Neil in a way I was born within a mile of "that" border, and with a bit of Scottish ancestry on my mums side to boot. Today i'm going to expo Arnold (EM North for those who dont get it!!) on the shopping list is some AG washers for the inside of con rods for the Jubillee and an Ivatt 2-6-0. Then you have to solder them in etc etc. Given the amount of conversions people do Why the likes of Colin etc can't machine a dedicated crankpin bush to make life easier! Rant over

having read Tony Gees article now in the Jacko special of MRJ Im also of a mind to change locos in the fiddleyard when a train has been round the circuit to make it appear different - Oh b*gg*r, more work!! Still Ive got till York show cos it wont be done for Manchester

Andy C wrote:Im also of a mind to change locos in the fiddleyard when a train has been round the circuit to make it appear different

I'd be interested to know how easy or otherwise that proves as we'd discussed the matter with regards Botanic but we were worried about handling stock too much but it easily provides a lot more variety to the casual observer.

My past experience with Spotland Bridge told me this was a no no, after having to handle the stock in a fairly cramped traversing fiddleyard locos were suffering - it wasnt so much damage as the effect on the weathering jobs and paintwork, because it was cramped you couldnt pick them up from under the footplate / valances.

New Heys yard is a lot more open - on the exit roads its eay to draw clear of surrounding stock and minismise handling damage. The return board onto the fiddle has been designed as a workshop table (one end has a piece of track on for testing and wheel cleaning purposes run by the trusty Duette) so theres space to put locos making the move from storeage to track about two feet. It seemed to work last weekend but the real test wil come at a show, Im not sure i will have enough stock to do this at Manchester show, but certainly by York next Easter - as I know you are a York regular you can come and have a try yourself!

Platelayers hut progress - considering this is the last structure to go on the layout it seems to be taking longer - maybe because im am some different techniques. The lean to hut for example is platicard covered with one ply of a tissue to represent roofing felt - the battens are microstrip. The brickwork is now primed and when dry i will work on this with watercolur pencils to bring out the tones and colours in the brickwork. The slates are now painted. Still lots of work to do the doors to be painted (note the padlock!!) guttering, windows, downpipes, chimney etc.

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Re the handling of stock conundrum, I was wondering if the Peco loco lift might be of use or DCC cocepts motive power depot boxes reviewed in Oct Hornby mag (apparantly they can be converted to EM one draw back they do seem expensive there are three version 360mm, 460mm and 560mm long The latter pictured holding a 2car 108 DMU

westerner wrote:Re the handling of stock conundrum, I was wondering if the Peco loco lift might be of use or DCC cocepts motive power depot boxes reviewed in Oct Hornby mag (apparantly they can be converted to EM one draw back they do seem expensive there are three version 360mm, 460mm and 560mm long The latter pictured holding a 2car 108 DMU

The loco lift might be an idea - when we had "Gauxholme Viaduct" at the Rochdale club

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we used to use white cotton gloves to prevent paint damage - trouble is it looked like a magicians convention and they used to catch fine detail - even worse these days i suspect. Rubber gloves may be an alternate ("Nurse, the screens please"). I must admit Ive not seen this bit in hornby mag - i tend to flick through it rather than read it when Im down at Dean Hall but I will have a look - sounds expensive though!!

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The platelayers hut is now ready to go on the baseboard - only trouble is working out the exact spot where it was - the L and Y drawings I have dont go any further than Two Bridges Road and the old OS map Ive got is not much help. I have tried to work it out from Photos but they are all taken from the Bridge and theres not a refernec point to be seen. Still it will give me a chance to leaf through books and plans once again and maybe for the last time as this is the last building structure to go on the layout.

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Steve P wrote:Really good to see this in the magazine Andy, I like the Northwest we have family in the area. One litle thing, the pics are a bit small

Cheers Steve

Next time we have the layout up and running (York show at Easter - itss too big to get up at home) I will take a few more photos - the layiout should be officially complete then with the added new signals ive just built, and the point rodding. Still not decided if we are going to paint the backscene

Finally got round to planting the remaining signals this weekend - need now to get the two ground signals completed, but this means waiting for a new BR ground signal etch from Palatine Models - Ive seen the test etches so watch out for this when its out because its better than anything else on the market. Sorry for the dark pics, my garage is not blessed with natural light unless the doors open, and in this January - no thanks!!

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I've just started doing the point rodding for New Hey. First time i have evr bothered with this but as its a protoype model, then it has to be done. Now being of distant Scottish ancestry and born within a midges dick of the yorkshire border, i know a bargain when I see one and when, a few years ago, a deceased members modelling bits box came into Dean Hall (MMRS HQ) for disposal with some of the much lauded Colin Waite etches in, they swiftly found their way into my projects box for a princely couple of quid!

last weekend i set to work with gusto but its clear to see this aint an easy job - Ive done some fiddly etched bits before but these take the biscuit. A full weekend to produce 8 stools - none soldered yet and the roller bars to go in yet - They are the devil incarnate, its a 3 handed job, but of course the pieces are so small its a struggle with two, the third would get nowhere near the work!

By sunday evening i was on the Brassmasters web site looking at alternate - the right pattern (unlike the CW etches) and look marginaly less difficult to put together but when I coosted it out for the number an combination required - well lets say that for what is a cosmetic job, Ouch. The MSE stuff is completely wrong - its for tubular rod not square - andthe stools require a lot of fettling to make them look right.

Ever the inventive I think I have a woarkaround - lay the rods out on the Templot plan, solder the top roller bar across, slot the rodding stool outer uprights at either end (sod the inner ons, you cab=n only see a littl of the tops anyway, and put onto the base - bottom roller - maybe not. keep yu posted how things progress for those about to follow on his route.

Ive finished the signal operating mechanisms today, just need to fit them under the layout and hopefully at York Show in 4 weeks time we will have operating signals. the operating wire is in temp. Im not wholly certain how effective the omega loop Ive bent into the Nickel silver wire will be. Once the crank mech is fitted in place I will solder stops on the backing plate to limit the travel of the crank.

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Ive also attached a photo of the point rodding workaround - the top rollers are soldered in place and I was considering soldering the Colin waite side plates on but as this particular section is being viewed at a distance I may just leave it as it is for cosmetic effect, There is a section to the front of the layout which may well be done properly though!

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It's got something to do with a recent software or server upgrade - they all appear to have disappeared prior to that date, which I think was in March sometime. Photos from prior to that date will only appear in threads, I guess, if the thread authors have re-uploaded them (I have done this in one of my threads, for example).

'Mr Wales - set a course for the Parkside system, MEK Factor 7.........engage!'